


On the 5th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Five White Berries

by Mangokiwitropicalswirl



Series: The Twelve Tropes of Christmas [5]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 06:24:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9110464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mangokiwitropicalswirl/pseuds/Mangokiwitropicalswirl





	

“So why’d you dance with Doyle?” Mulder asks softly after the sway of the music has smoothed the tension between them just a little.

“Did it bother you?” Scully challenges.

“Only because I know you think he’s an asshole,” Mulder replies. “So I’m at a loss to understand why you took him up on it.”

“Did it occur to you that I danced with him because he asked?” She looks up at him pointedly. “A girl likes to be asked, Mulder.”

“Yeah, but..” Mulder catches the accusation in her tone and wisely stops talking. He feels the muscles in Scully’s shoulders tense under his hand and he remembers another time he’d said those words and swallowed their conclusion. 

He can’t say, “but you’re mine.” He feels it, but sometimes he forgets he’s never said it. Plus, he knows she’d recoil if she knew the extent of his possessiveness.

But tonight, he wonders what the human equivalent of marking his territory might look like. He’s considering everything short of sliding a ring on her finger -- not that he hasn’t thought about that too, but it’s not like he’s just got a diamond lingering in his jacket pocket.

The melancholy little song they’re dancing to continues to echo in his head as they turn on the nearly-empty dancefloor:

“Christmastime is here,  
happiness and cheer  
…..  
snowflakes in the air,  
carols everywhere,  
oldest times and ancient rhymes,  
of love and dreams to share.”

Scully still won’t meet his gaze, but he can almost feel the pulse in her hand steadying in time to their movements. He wants her closer. 

He knows she’ll probably protest because goodness knows their bosses and coworkers are watching. But as he looks down at the way her porcelain skin contrasts with the magnificent red of her dress, and loses track of his thoughts in the dark cleft of her cleavage, he cannot help himself. He moves his other hand to the curve of her lower back and gently draws her up against him.

Scully startles a moment and tilts her head up at him with widened eyes, panic and desire battling behind them. Mulder meets her gaze with a raise of one eyebrow and gives her a little nod.

The hand that’s grasping his bicep tenses and for a half second he thinks she’s going to push him away. But then she slides her other now-free hand up to the back of his neck and leans her head on his chest. Mulder presses his nose into her hair and his eyes drift closed. As he inhales the clean, familiar scent of her shampoo, he feels her thumb stroking the little hairs at the base of his neck and she lets out a sound that’s halfway between a purr and a sigh. 

Now it’s Mulder’s turn to tense. Her breasts are pressing against his torso and the motion of her thumb on his neck is sending arousal straight to his groin. She is still swaying to the music, standing with her feet bracketed on either side by his wide stance, so his reaction to her is not going to go unnoticed. 

He gulps and bends his mouth to her ear. He means to tell her they should probably cool things a little, but when his mouth gets there, he can’t seem to stop himself from placing a soft kiss in the hollow behind her ear. 

Scully whimpers. It’s a sound he has to hear again. so he breathes softly into her hair and kisses the base of her neck, near where the thin red strap of her dress crosses her clavicle. This shoulder is slipping a little, hinting at the lacy black strap of her bra underneath.

He grows even harder, his erection now definitely noticeably pressed into her hip. “Scully,” Mulder breathes into her ear, “I, uh, we…”. He chokes on his words as she winds one arm underneath his jacket and rests her palm dangerously close to the top of his ass, as if to say, two can play at this game.

“Yes Mulder?” She murmurs, a twinkle in her eye. 

“I, uh,” he’s stammering now. “I’m gonna need a second here,” he says once he realizes they’re providing their colleagues with enough salacious behavior to keep the whole Hoover building warm until New Years. 

“Just, don’t go anywhere for a minute,” he half-begs as he tries to put a little distance between his eager body and her warm embrace.

“And just where else would I go?” She teases, all previous traces of annoyance now melted away, replaced by a playfulness that reminds him of the fresh young agent she’d been when they were first partnered. He adores it.

“I’m just saying,” Mulder continues with a smile, “We don’t want this show we’re giving to get X-rated, if you catch my drift.”

Scully laughs loudly and, mercifully, the band starts to pick up the tempo for their next piece, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Mulder keeps her close to shield his arousal from view, but moves them into a quick little rock step in time to the music. More couples stream back onto the dance floor. Several of the men give Mulder knowing glances that he pretends not to see. Off in the distance, Scully sees Skinner slowly shaking his head and pursing his lips.

Whereas the previous song seemed to go on forever, this one passes quickly and they’re slightly breathless when it ends. Mulder doesn’t drop Scully’s hand, but leads her off the floor with a look of relief in his eyes.

“Thank you for the dance, Miss Scully,” he pretend-bows as they step off, suddenly chivalrous and lighthearted. “Might I inquire as to your plans for the rest of the evening?”

Scully’s surprises him, though, as she steps up close and purrs in a low tone, “I don’t know, Mr. Mulder. Why don’t you tell me?”

Mulder’s eyes widen and he’s struggling to find an adequate response to her come-on when Agent Doyle’s loud voice cuts through the crowd again. He and his buddies are pointing in their direction.

“Check it out,” Doyle cackles, “the Spookies are under the mistletoe!”

Scully looks up and sees where someone has tied a sprig of mistletoe to the branch of one of decorative ficus trees that are clustered around the atrium. A mess of green leaves frame five small white berries that are tied together with a red velvet cord. 

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” A chorus of tipsy voices starts chanting from across the room.

Mulder looks down at Scully and gauges whether this is a good idea.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” The chanting continues.

Scully shrugs and curves her mouth into a little pout, as if to say, why not?

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” 

They’re really obnoxious now and Mulder just wants to shut them up, so he touches Scully gently on the elbow and leans down. She tips her head back, her mouth parting slightly.

Mulder’s surprised by her nonchalance and even though moments ago, every cell in his body had been screaming for him to carry her off to a darkened corner and explore every inch of those wine-colored lips, now that the opportunity has presented itself, he wants this moment to himself. He wants Doyle and company to fuck off. He can’t believe it himself, but he’s not going to do this here, now.

But they’re not going to shut up without some kind of response, so Mulder slowly presses a soft kiss to Scully’s cheek, just brushing the corner of her mouth with his lips as he passes.

“Aww man!” Groans Doyle from across the room. “You are such a wuss, Spooky.”

Mulder glances over at his placated audience so he doesn’t catch the wounded look in Scully’s eyes as she steps away. When he looks back at her, she looks confused and the light in her eyes has dimmed a little. 

“What is it?” Mulder asks.

“Nothing,” Scully lies.

“Scully, don’t do this,” he pleads.

“Do what?” 

“Oh come on,” he sighs, “You know what I mean.”

“Do I?” She retorts.

Rather than continue this ridiculous, years-long game of chicken for one more minute, Mulder grabs her hand and tugs her toward the door. “C’mon.”

“What? Where are we going?”

“Just get your coat,” Mulder commands. 

“Why?” Scully demands.

“Cause, baby, it’s cold outside.”


End file.
